Nutrition
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6 min
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If your pooch usually has no problem with crunching down on kibble, but then suddenly turns their nose up at it, it’s time to investigate.
Sometimes, boredom is the source of your dog's sudden protest, so the key is to make their dry food more appetising.
Try out our easy methods below to get your picky pooch back to craving that kibble.
Though the benefits of dry dog food are many, it can become a tad uneventful to dogs who have had a taste of more flavourful stuff. The key to making dry food interesting again is to amp up its texture, smell or flavour.
First up, think back to when this particular bag of dry food was opened.
Once the seal is broken a bag of kibble will start to spoil in 2 to 3 weeks, and unsurprisingly, stale food is as offensive to dogs’ taste buds as it is to humans’.
Try cracking open some fresh dry food and see if that solves the problem.
If you’ve established that your dog’s kibble isn’t stale but fresh and crunchy, the next option is to introduce some wet ingredients. There are plenty of delicious and dog safe additions to dry food that will elevate its aroma and flavour.
Yes - adding water is the easiest thing to try if your dog won’t eat their kibble/ dry dog food.
Pour a small amount of warm (not boiling hot) water into the pieces to get your dog interested again. The wetness will give the pieces a juicier texture, not to mention release all those meaty flavours and smells to grab your dog’s attention.
It’s always worth testing a new brand of dry food if your dog doesn’t seem to be enjoying your current choice.
Many dry dog food brands contain filler ingredients alongside a low meat content, meaning not only is the texture uninteresting, your pooch isn’t gaining much nutritional benefit either.
Choose a high-quality dry food to boost the likelihood of your dog loving the taste and staying interested. Pooch & Mutt dry dog food, for example, is grain-free with tasty, natural ingredients such as Turkey, Salmon and Sweet potato to get them happily munching away.
When changing your dog's dry food, do so gradually - mixing portions of the two whilst gradually making the amount of old dry food smaller and smaller until they're just eating their new food. This way, it allows you to monitor them for side effects and plus, it's easier on their tummy.
A common reason why dogs will suddenly turn their nose up at their usual dry food is because they've been getting high-value treats and titbits elsewhere, and their usual kibble just isn't hitting the same. Not eating their kibble may be a sign of they're just waiting for something better.
That said, it be a sign that they're suffering from an illness, such as Gastroenteritis or other digestive issues.
Consider all the reasons your dog may not be hungry, and take them to the vet if you think it’s more than a simple preference issue.
If your pooch has developed a taste for wet food, this isn’t surprising - many dogs prefer the texture, flavour and smell of wet dog food.
There are tons of reasons you may prefer a dry food diet for your dog, though - from its highly condensed nutrient content to the fact that it’s easier to portion and usually more economical than wet food.
If this is the case, your best option is to boost the sensory appeal of your dog’s dry food so that they find it worth that extra sniff.
On the other hand, your dog may be preferring wet food because they're having dental trouble. Wet food would be easier to eat and doesn't require any crunching, which may be causing them some discomfort.
If your dog has suddenly started wanting to eat wet food over dry, and has also been pawing at their mouth or avoiding a particular side of their mouth, be sure to take a look and book an appointment with your vet, just to be sure.
Yes, it's perfectly safe to mix wet and dry food for your dog, and can actually be a great way to add appeal to their normal dry food.
Be sure the dry pieces are stirred in well, or your pooch may pick out the wet chunks and leave the rest.
Then, with each mealtime, reduce the amount of wet food you’re adding to the bowl.
Over time, your dog should hopefully be eating dry food again without realising.
If you’d like to try a tasty dry dog food packed full of natural, nutritious ingredients that will keep your dog healthy and happy from the inside out, try Pooch & Mutt’s range of grain-free dry dog food.
Comments (3)
We have just decided to change to your dog food and our 4 huskies love it however its a lot more expensive! .so if possible I would like a few samples if you give treats away?? I would be most grateful thanking you in anticipation Gillian
Hi Gillian,
Thank you for your comment.
We’re always running promotions on site, particularly with free gifts in each order. You’ll be notified of these if you sign up to our newsletter, or alternatively, please do contact our team who can offer further support :) [email protected]
My has stopped eating dry food in the last week he eats his treats like Bonio and other treats so I have put chappie in with his dry food not eating it just leaves not interested
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